Internal combustion engine and method of operation



March 11, 1941; N, M JONES 2,234,900

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND METHOD OF OPERATION Filed April 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N. M. JONES 2,234.900 INTERNAL COIBUSTION ENGINE AND METHOD OF OPERATION March 11, 1941.

Filed Aprii 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 QQN QQN he WWW:

atentecl Mar. 11, 1941 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE AND METHOD OF OPERATION Nelson M. Jones, lilatcllville, Mass.

Application April 11,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine and it aims to provide a construction whereby the engine will be effectively cooled by a medium which is subsequently used as the power medium.

Another object is to provide such an engine wherein propane or an equivalent liquid is sup plied to the engine particularly through cylinder jackets in the form of a gas for its cooling effect 0 and is subsequently admixed with air for ignition as the operating fuel.

It is also aimed to provide a method whereby fuel used to drive the engine passes from the liquid to the gaseous state within the engine so that the latter will be aifected by its cooling prop erties, and which gas is subsequently used in combination with air to propel the engine.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the engine;

Figure 2 is a top view thereof, and

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, the example of the engine shown is in a comparatively simple form and relatively fiat. Such form consists of a central generally cylindrical crankcase ID closed at opposite sides by the heads I l bolted thereto as at I2.

From opposite diametric locations, cylinders I3 radiate, being provided with outwardly extending flanges I 4, by means of which they are bolted as at IE to the crankcase l0. Said cylinders have jackets or passages at l6 communicating with passages in the crankcase and communicating with the interior of the latter. Spring seated check valves l8 are located in the passages I1 and are employed so that a partial vacuum may be maintained in the interior of the i5 crankcase.

The jackets l6 communicate with fuel mixing chambers l9 in communication with the atmosphere at 2B for the intake of air under control of a throttle valve 2|. Throttle valves 22 are also 0 provided in the mixing chambers l9 and from such chambers fuel supply pipes or passages 23 extend to the outer ends of the cylinders and in which inlet valves 24 operate.

The engine is adapted to use liquid butane 5 which is contained within a closed tank 25, under 1940, Serial No. 329,198 (Cl. 123-56) slight pressure if desired and which flows therefrom through a supply pipe 28 communicating with a passage 21 through the crankcase in which a union 28 is fitted, and communicates with an endless pipe 29 located within the crankcase and 5 which is provided at suitable intervals with outlet nozzles 30.

The shaft of the engine is shown at 3i as journaled in the heads II and as having a double ended crank 32 within the crankcase, plvotally 10 connected at opposite ends at 33 to connecting rods 34 in turn connected by wrist pins 34a to pistons 35 which are operable in the cylinders I3.

and that such vacuum is maintained in view of the employment of the check valves l8. An automatic vacuum regulator may be employed for the crankcase as at 38. The particular connection of the pistons provides for synchronous action thereof to develop alternate cycles of vacuum and compression.

An auxiliary emission jet for butane is provided at 39 leading from the pipe 26 into the mixing chamber which may be controlled by linkage 26a from the vacuum regulator 38 to automatically govern or control the proper amount of fuel delivered to the mixing chamber, regardless of the amount drawn into the crankcase, such linkage consisting of suitably mounted levers 26b and 260, pivoted respectively at 2611 and 26e, engaging valves 38 and 39 and connected by a rod 26).

The engine is primarily designed as an aeroplane engine although it may be used for automotive or any other purpose. It is designed to operate on the conventional four cycle principle and it is to be understood that the ignition, inlet valves, exhaust valves and means for operating such valves and ignition may be of any desired or conventional type.

In lieu of producing the vacuum in the crankcase through the operation of the pistons, I may employ a vacuum pump or any other substitute desired.

The relatively flat form of the engine shown adapts installation thereof within aeroplane wings, for complete enclosure therein, thus materially decreasing the head resistance of the plane to the air.

Due to the properties of propane, the engine is considerably more fireproof than the usual internal combustion engine and since the cooling may be more readily and efficiently effected, the engine may be made considerably lighter than ordinary engines. Then too, the present engine can withstand extremely high compression ratios, thus increasing the power many times that of the same size of contemporary gasoline engine.

The cooling also, may be regulated to any desired degree to adapt the engine for any change in air temperature or altitude as desirable for aviation purposes.

It is clear that any equivalent of the propane or casing head gas may be substituted so that the same properties and principles may be realized in the operation of the engine.

Any number of the engines or units shown may be built to operate on a common crankshaft or an engine of any number of cylinders may be built utilizing the principles of the invention.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall Within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of operating an engine by a fuel medium, consisting in expanding the medium from one state to another within the engine to cool the engine, and thereafter adding air to the fuel and exploding the mixture of air and fuel to operate the engine.

2. An engine of the class described having a crankcase and a cylinder provided with a jacket space communicating with the crankcase, a piston operable in the cylinder, a mixing chamber in communication with the jacket and with the cylinder under valve control, and means for the supply of fuel to the crankcase for expansion into a gas by vacuum created by operation of the piston and thence travel through the jacket space for its cooling effect and thence to the mixing chamber for use in operating the engine.

3. An engine of the class described having a crankcase and cylinders extending therefrom, said cylinders having jackets communicating with the crankcase, mixing chambers with which the jackets communicate, and means operable to supply fuel into the crankcase, pistons operable in the cylinders simultaneously outwardly to expand the fuel into gas for passage into the jackets for its cooling effect and thence to the mixing chambers for subsequent use in operating the engine.

4. An engine of the class described having a crankcase and cylinders extending therefrom, said cylinders having jackets communicating with the crankcase, mixing chambers with which the jackets communicate, means operable to supply fuel into the crankcase, pistons operable in the cylinders simultaneously outwardly to expand the fuel into gas for passage into the jackets for its cooling effect and thence to the mixing chambers for subsequent use in operating the engine, means to operate the pistons, and means adjacent the communications between the crankcase and jackets to maintain a partial vacuum in the crankcase through operation of the engine.

5. An engine of the class described having a crankcase and cylinders extending therefrom, said cylinders having jackets communicating with the crankcase, mixing chambers with which the jackets communicate, means operable to supply fuel into the crankcase and into the jackets for its cooling effect and subsequent use in operating the engine, means for the supply of fuel directly from the source to said mixing chambers, and an automatic vacuum regulator for the crankcase operatively connected to the last mentioned means to insure the supply of requisite fuel to the mixing chambers independently of that supplied to the crankcase.

6. An engine of the class described having a crankcase and cylinders extending therefrom, said cylinders having jackets communicating with the crankcase, mixing chambers with which the jackets communicate, means operable to supply fuel into the crankcase and into the jackets for its cooling effect and subsequent use in operating the engine, means for the supply of fuel directly from the source to said mixing chambers, an automatic vacuum regulator for the crankcase operatively connected to the last mentioned means to insure the supply of requisite fuel to the mixing chambers independently of that supplied to the crankcase, and a conduit Within the crankcase through which the fuel is supplied having suitably arranged outlets.

7. An engine of the class described having a crankcase and cylinders extending therefrom, said cylinders having jackets communicating with the crankcase, mixing chambers with which the jackets communicate, means operable to supply fuel into the crankcase and into the jackets for its cooling effect and subsequent use in operating the engine, means to operate the pistons, means adjacent the communications between the crankcase and jackets to maintain a partial vacuum in the crankcase through operation of the engine, and means to operate the pistons simultaneously toward each other and simultaneously away from each other.

8. The method consisting in drawing a liquid fuel into the crankcase of an engine and expanding it into a gas through the operation of the engine pistons, in conveying such gas through the cylinder walls for its cooling effect, and in discharging such gas admixed with air into the cylinder for ignition as the power medium.

NELSON M. JONES. 

